This invention relates to a refrigerated display cabinet and, more particularly, to means for providing a more efficient seal for the cover panel that closes the access opening of the cabinet.
Refrigerated display cabinets that are used in stores for storing and displaying refrigerated products comprise a refrigerating chamber for the merchandise and a mechanical chamber that contains the refrigerating apparatus. The refrigerating chamber has an access opening at its upper portion for withdrawing and loading merchandise, and this opening is normally closed by glass panels for controlling the temperature in the refrigerating chamber while providing for display of the merchandise.
In cabinets of this nature, there has heretofore been provided guide rail mechanisms for the glass panels to provide for sliding the glass panels endwise of the cabinet to open and close the access opening. To reduce leakage of air into and out of the refrigerating chamber, the glass panels are provided with sealing means in the gap at the guide rail mechanism which supports the glass panels.
Referring to FIG. 1, which is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a prior structure, there are provided guide rail mechanisms 31a' and 31b' for supporting a pair of glass panels 30' at the top and bottom edges thereof for endwise sliding movement. The guide rail mechanism 31a' and 31b' comprise, respectively, rail elements 311a' and 311b' fixed to the walls of the cabinet along the edges of the transparent panels 30'. The rail element 311a' and 311b' are each provided with a horizontal flat running surface for the wheels 314' of each of the transparent panels 30', the wheels 314' being rotatably supported on the frame 312' whereby the transparent panels 30' are adapted to be moved relative to each other longitudinally of the cabinet.
The running surfaces of the rail elements 311a' and 311b' are formed with depressions 37' in which the wheels 314' are adapted to be seated individually when the glass panels 30' are in their closed positions. Also, each of the frames 312' is provided with a sealing element 50' that depends vertically from the edge thereof and is adapted to contact the upper surface of the horizontal running surface when the glass panels 30' are closed and the wheels 314' of frame 312' are thus positioned in the depressions 37' to provide sealing for the rail elements 311a' and 311b' with the frames 312'. However, if the frames 312' were not made sufficiently accurate or if the sealing element 50' are worn due to sliding contact against the rail elements 311a' and 311b' the sealing elements 50' will not seal against the seal elements 311a' and 311b'.
Furthermore, electrical heaters 45' are disposed on the rail elements 311a' and 311b' to prevent freezing the wheels 314' to the frames 312' or to the rail elements 311a' and 311b'. The rail element 311b' at the front of the glass panels 30' is positioned on panel 131' on the upper edge of the front wall 13' of the cabinet and the heaters 45' are normally disposed beneath the panel 131' to avoid being submerged in the water that condenses on the glass panels 30' and drain into the rail element 311b'.